How to be beautiful
by Aoi-Yuuki-Kitsune
Summary: Mikan has been in a slump all because of a special day and her new found selfconscienceness.


The sun shone down on a large cherry tree, it's leaves were the beautiful pink that only comes at the right time of their blooming, the light that hit them shone through the pedals to the snow below, giving the snow a pinkish tinge. Underneath this magical tree a small sixteen-year-old girl lay on a bench, her long brunette hair blew silently over her closed eyes, she sat completely still, as a doll on a Childs dresser would, the air around her flowed peacefully around her but inside her mind anger and sadness took over…

_He didn't even say anything about it… _she thought sadly and her hand moved to her hair where she put it into a quick and rather messy ponytail. _I thought he would say something, anything!_ She opened her eyes and looked at the cherry blossoms dance in the wind and then sighed heavily. _That's why I should never change my hairstyle… I'm just an ugly girl who can't pull these kind of girly things off… besides, pig-tail suit me just fine… even if they are a little… childish. _She dropped her cinnamon eyes and closed them yet again, sitting in pure silence until footsteps came from behind her.

The girl whipped around where her eyes met a quick and sudden on-coming horse hoof, which knocked her from the bench and onto the snowy ground.

'Stupid!' said the voice of the attacker, 'Mikan, I've been looking all over for you, gees what a pain!'

Mikan spluttered out the snow that had gotten into her mouth and got to her feet, facing the other, 'Hotaru! How mean!'

'Whatever… you the one who is mean, making me have to go look for you all over campus!' The speaker was a tall and thin, beautiful young girl who had deep violet eyes and-

'Hotaru, your hair!' said a shocked Mikan, pointing at the girls head.

The girl smiled slightly and asked 'I decided to let it grow… of course it was with the aid of a few hair growth formulas I bought…' The girl ran a slender hand through her shoulder-length black hair, making it shine.

'Gees, it looks great!' said Mikan enviously, _I wish my hair would look that good…_

Hotaru could sense something was wrong with her friend, for one she didn't completely jump all over her when she saw her and another was that Mikans hair was in a messy pony-tail instead of their usual pig-tails, and Hotaru _knew_ that Mikan was a little shy when it came to her hair… which had been down all day… Hotaru guessed about her friend-

BA-KA! The second shot was fired and Mikan landed in the snow again.

'What the heck?!' started the startled girl, rubbing her cheek vigorously, and tears in the corners of her eyes.

Hotaru bent down picking up her friend and pulled her towards the school. 'No more being depressed, you're getting ready with me!'

'Mmm…' grumbles the girl, Mikan knew what she meant and after the day she had Mikan really didn't want to go anymore.

'Come on!' yanked the inventor harshly and began to run with the poor struggling Mikan behind her.

Hotaru and Mikan entered the schools building where a very anxious perm-haired girl screamed at them, 'Where have you been?! You promised me, Anna, and Nonoko that you guys would be here and get ready with us… a half hour ago!'

'Yeah, well, I _would_ have been here on time if a certain someone just waited in her class room like I said.'

'Huh…' hummed Mikan, looking down at her shoes.

'What's wron-' Sumire started while looking at her watch and changed gears quickly, 'Come on! We have dresses ready, I of course made them, there's one for each… thanks to me!' Permy shone with pride at her own handy work, she had spent hours sewing dresses for everyone as a "Relaxing therapy" activity, which worked… unless if you talked to her or were anywhere near her when she was sewing, that is.

Hotaru, Mikan and Sumire went up the stairs to Shodas room to get 'ready'.

Anna poked her head from the room's door and then withdrew as they came near, soon two heads poked out of the frame, both smiling as they reached out and pulled the three in.

'Okay,' said Anna excitedly 'let's get out dresses on, then do our make up!' all five scrambled and changed in a frenzy, tying ribbons and zipping zippers, until they were securely on, everyone looked fabulous… well all but Mikan.

'That's weird!' said Sumire angrily 'That's not right, it's not you at all.' Sumire was wearing a white frilly dress and looked like a bride, Hotaru was in lavender, the dress was slimming and had a gold dragon creeping up the front. Anna wore a yellow and Nonoko wore green. They all looked as though they had been made for those dresses. Mikans dress was pink, and was really pretty but it wasn't right for her.

Mikans tears started to roll in torrents down her face, to everyone's distress, and she started to sob loudly, _I didn't even want to go…_

Shoda and Hotaru were talking in low voices as Anna and Nonoko were trying to comfort the crying Mikan, who was lying on the floor.

'That's enough!' said Hotaru, and she and Sumire bent down and picked Mikan off the floor.

Mikan Sniffed 'What are you-'

'We're going to make you shine!' they said together.

'Stop crying!' shouted Shoda who was, at the moment, doing Mikans make-up, 'You're making it run- gees!'

'Hmmm…' hummed Hotaru slying behind Mikan, and with lightning-fast reflexes whipped the elastic, which was holding up Mikans hair out, letting her long chestnut hair fall. Mikan gasped and quickly turned in her seat, much to the dismay of Shoda who had finally got her to stop crying, but Mikan quickly gained those tears back.

'N-no! Hotaru!' cried Mikan making a wild and futile grab for the elastic, where Hotaru responded by placing it around her thumb and stretched it with the opposite hand then quickly, as she avoided Mikans desperate attempts to retrieve the elastic band, she flung open the window and released it with a TWANG onto the darkened ground below, lost.

'No need for tha-'

'HOTARU!' screamed Mikan, tears pouring down her face.

'Shut it! And sit, forget about that, we'll fix your hair, now SIT!' said and angry and impatient Shoda, yanking the crying girl in a chair, 'Trust us.'

Mikan slumped down in the chair… _It can't get any worse… _and she closed her eyes.

'Mikan, wake up!'

A pair of Hazel eyes fluttered open and Mikan looked around, all four girls were smiling at her.

'You can't look yet!' said a smiling, and very pleased Shoda.

'First, out of that dress!'

'Huh?' puzzled Mikan, 'W-what am I supposed to wear then?'

'This!' Shoda took out a filly black gown dress, intricate bead patterns and designs embroidered the front and bottom, crimson red went down the front behind the beads, the red made the beads stand out and glimmer in the light spectacularly. Mikan gasped at its beauty.

'Put it on' whispered Hotaru at Mikans shoulder.

'Consider it a valentines present from me! I hope it works' winked a smiling Shoda.

'Th-thank yo-' stuttered and over-whelmed Mikan.

'Just put it on!' they pushed.

Mikan put on the dress, the ribbons and strings that held it together criss-crossed and twisted over one another until it was securely fastened on, everyone steeped back to get a good look at the completed product. Ana and Nonoko started to cry while the others beamed broadly at her, Shoda slid out her full-length mirror, and Mikan drew in her breath.

'This is the Valentines Ball, it's only natural that you would want to look pretty…' stated a blushing Shoda.

Hotaru placed a hand gently on Mikans shoulder and whispered soothingly (yet a little mischievously) 'He can't ignore this' and Mikan blushed furiously and looked back in the mirror. Mikans and make-up on that made her eyes dazzle, her hair was down and straightened then flipped at the ends to compliment her dress which in turn made her look elegant making the girls hope rise again.

'Oh gees!' shouted Shoda 'We'll be late if we don't leave now!' and they all scampered to get out of the door, Mikan turned to had on last glance before tottering off to join her friends and shutting the door behind her.

The girls arrived at the dancing hall as the doors opened. The inside was beautiful, the tree in the hall had lights strewn through it and red carpets were laid out, the outfits and gowns glittered in the dimly lit room, the only lights being the tree and candles that were being levitated in the air and lamps on the tables. The men wore luxurious tuxedos and suits, peopled hair ornaments and dressed would flash and flicker in the candle light every now and then, making it seem as if the hall was a sea of glitter.

'Whoa,' breathed Ana jumping up and down, and laughing 'This is beautiful!'

Everyone agreed with her and couldn't help but smile to themselves.

'Imai!' called a boys voice. It was Ruka, wearing a black suit with a lavender shirt underneath, obviously he co-ordinated with his inventor girlfriend, 'You look spectacular, and your hair…' he blushed and held out his arm to Hotaru who graciously took it.

'Um-' called Mikan to them, as they were about to dance.

'Don't worry' smiled Ruka gently, 'He'll be here.'

Mikan blushed at how Ruka knew what she was about to ask.

'He'd never miss you like this, even if he won't say it, your gorgeous Sakura-san' with one last smile he turned and took Hotaru to the dance floor.

Mikan stood off to the side when a hand touched her shoulder, quickly, she turned around 'Na-' she started but saw that it was a different boy.

'May I have this dance?' he asked with a bow.

'Um… actually- I – um-'

'She'll be dancing with me,' said a smooth and gentle, yet strong voice, that she had become so familiar with.

'Natsume…' breathed a blushing Mikan.

Natsume strode up to her, pushing the other boy aside. He was wearing the same colours as Mikan was except in the form of a handsome suit, as Mikan realised this her blushed deepened as she thought _a-a perfect match!_

'Mikan,' said Natsume, not looking at her, but held out his arm in the same fashion as Ruka had done with Hotaru, and he led her to the dance floor.

They danced in without saying a word to each other, the lights swirled around them and everything but them faded, it was… just them…

'OW!' cringed Mikan. The world came back into view.

Natsumes eyes narrowed as he looked down 'Can't see… your feet… through the dress…' he continued, each time he stepped on her a vein popped.

'Natsume… I could just watch you feet-'

'No! I can do this…' obviously he couldn't, as he stepped on her feet quite a few times more.

Mikan could tell he was getting angry… _really_ angry… but just then the music stopped. _Oh thank goodness…_

'Oh thank Goodness,' said a voice… who else could it be… Koko. Mikan gasped in horror as the Heart-reading Alice strode from a decorative pillar.

Natsume looked down at his shoes, he was shaking he was so angry, first thing was first, Natsume set fire to Koko's pant leg, the next thing was that he grabbed Mikan by the wrist, and, looking extremely dangerous led her to the exit doors so that no one could hear them.

'I know I'm not a good dancer-'

'No! You got it all wro-' struggled Mikan.

'I know I'm not a good dancer!' he said firmly, 'But you could have a little more dance skill to, _ugly_ strawberry panties.'

The word ugly, as Natsume used on impulse, hit Mikan hard, she looked down and before the boy could slip in another word she pushed the raven-haired boy away and ran into the crowd. Natsume, lying on the ground, couldn't help but feel that he had said something wrong… he said nothing out of the ordinary… what was different?

Natsume walked onto the ballroom floor, turning his raven-haired head to a fro, looking for the lost girl he had just been dancing with.

'Natsume…' Natsume turned to where his name was called; it was Ruka with Hotaru beside him. 'Natsume, what are you doing?'

'Umm… Mikan…'

'Hmm? Oh, I saw Mikan rush to the girl's washroom a few minutes ago… is something wrong? She looked upset.'

'I'm not… sure,' he was getting frustrated, _stupid girl… why did she run away?!_ He though.

BA-KA!

Hotaru fired the gun, knocking Natsume over, 'Gosh are you an idiot!' Ruka slowly backed away from the two, 'Go and get her! You Idiot!' Hotaru shot multiple rounds until Natsume had got out of firing range.

'What the heck did I do!?' shouted Natsume, kicking the nearest trash bin. 'I'm not going to go get that stupid girl…' he said looking down, he stood silently then with an annoyed movement he headed towards the girls washroom…

Natsume strode up to the girls washroom and pushed the door open with a crash, several girls who were in there told him to get out, but a few fire balls quickly cleared them out.

'Mikan!' shouted Natsume, the voice came back to him in this large vacant bathroom, well, almost vacant. Although faint Natsume could make out the sound of a person crying in one of the closed stalls.

'Mikan,' repeated Natsume, 'Are you coming out or what?'

'N-no.'

'Gonna tell me why the heck not?' he said, his temper rising at being denied in her coming out.

'I'm u-ugly,' she hic-coughed.

Natsume stood there, confused, for a while he didn't know why she would all the sudden think or say she was ugly. 'Oh? Why do you say that?'

'You said so…'

'Natsumes heart fell.

'You haven't looked at me all day, you hate it right? And you hate it now!'

Natsume kicked himself for being an idiot and wished Imai was there to give him a good hit or two. 'Mikan, come out of that stall…'

'N-no.'

Natsume sighed heavily and set fire to the stalls lock and melted it away, he harshly kicked the door open and walked into the stall.

Mikan was sitting on the tiled floor, wide-eyed and teary, she looked like an angel… Natsume rushed to her and yanked her to her feet.

'I really don't want to talk in a bathroom stall… come with me!' He dragged the crying Mikan out of the bathroom and took her to the tree, sitting her down in a bench, he sat down beside her in turn.

'Mikan…' He seamed to be having troubles, 'You don't have to do your hair… or make-up…' another pause. 'I-I said something that was wrong or at least this time it was… I'm… I'm sorry.'

Mikan stared at him in disbelief that _he_, Natsume Hyuuga was apologizing.

'And you… you pretty no matter what,' he said without glancing at her.

The girl blushed vigorously and looked down.

'I love you!' said a voice above them in the tree, soon there was a rustling of the leaves and Koko fell from the branches, quickly got up than ran for his dear life, as the two were covered with the fallen leaves.

Mikan began picking the leaves out of her hair, not looking at Natsume, her face a deep shade of red.

Natsume stood for a while not looking at her either, he suddenly turned and walk up to her down turned face, he bent down looking into her eyes, a foot away from her face 'Stupid… you missed one…' he moved his hand over her cheek into her hair and brushed it away from her face, then closed in the remaining distance and gently kissed her. As they separated Natsume said, 'Happy Valentines day, Strawberries.'


End file.
